Category Archives: Trades

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2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM62: Oilers @ Kings – 3P2W – Latest Trade Rumors and Rumblings

The Edmonton Oilers have turned up the heat on this year’s trade deadline since we last chatted here. Last time around we were talking about Tyler Ennis and now some more names have come up, but let’s talk about this game tonight before we get into the rumors.

LA played last night, so they could come out flying and then peter out hard. It’ll be up to the Oilers’ defense to stand strong during the King’s push and for the forwards to take advantage of any opportunities afforded them early on. McLellan’s boys haven’t been scoring much and they got their only goal against the Avs on a penalty shot yesterday, so this could be a prime chance for Holland’s men to really get on LA and keep them down.

Now, Jonathan Quick played last night so I’d assume Cal Petersen will start this one and depending on how cynical you are, you might be happy about getting the backup or you might be a tad wary since the Oilers have made some pretty bad goalies look good in recent history…

I like Edmonton’s chances tonight but with that said, the Kings still have the likes of Drew Doughty and Dustin Brown playing for them and they aren’t the most honest of hockey players in the league. Knock on wood, I hope the Oilers come away from this one without any additions to the IR.

THE RUMORS

First off, I want to let you know that I’ve been posting a few more of the things I hear over at our BLH Instagram page lately. I feel like my website’s server has let us down a bit too much this year so I’ve been releasing some stuff on the IG platform. Please, head over there now and follow our account if you haven’t already!

I talked with my sources last night and finally had a nice long conversation so I can let you in on a bit more this morning.

  • Jesse Puljujarvi: Not too long ago Edmonton Journal veteran scribe Jim Matheson asked Oilers GM Ken Holland about Pulju and GMKH said that he wasn’t shopping him and nobody was asking. Well, I believe the reason for that is that the Oilers intend on trying to bring him back into the fold. The GM and head coach really want to work with him and on no less than three occasions this year the Oilers have sent representatives to Finland to speak with the young lad. Puljujarvi felt hurt from the last regime (Chiarelli/McLellan/Hitchcock) and that’s one of the main reasons he stayed in Finland this year aside from wanting to get his mojo and love for the game back. I’ve said this to many people who’ve asked, if there’s any person who could convince Jesse to return, it’d be Ken Holland and to add to that, I don’t think JP wants to spend another year in Finland. GMKH did say he wanted to go fishing in those waters in an interview with Bob Stauffer last week, did he not? “Those waters” being Europe. If you’re wondering what kind of impact he could have, look no further than that of Martin Necas’. I believe Puljujarvi could be a 30-40pt winger starting next year.
  • Anton Slepyshev: Speaking of players lighting it up in Europe. My source said he expects Slepy to be in camp next season. The 25-year-old Russian left because the management and coaching couldn’t get their shit together and now that the KHL will be implementing a salary cap next season there might be a solid exodus of players heading to NA, including Anton. It sounds like he’s fine with a bottom-6 role too.
  • James Neal: We heard Bob Stauffer and Sportsnet’s Mark Spector talking about Neal possibly going on LTIR to shake loose some cash and to avoid giving that 3rd round pick to Calgary from the Lucic trade last week on Oilers Now. Well, there’s some serious consideration being given to this option.
  • Tyler Ennis: This one is basically done barring the Sens backing out. Just a few more wrinkles to iron out. What I was told is that Ennis is possibly the player that will go up with McDavid if this deal goes through. Personally, I’m not sure if that’s a good plan or not… Has Ennis ever been a top-6 player? Is an add like this going to be more David Desharnais or Sergei Samsonov?
  • Mike Green: Hold up on this trade is money/picks. Detroit is willing to retain but this will have to be a hockey deal. Money will have to go out from Edmonton in order to bring this player in. I like this sort of trade for Edmonton though. You can never go wrong with more vets of Green’s caliber.
  • Andreas Athanasiou: My source said AA has NEVER been a target of the team and Holland hasn’t asked about him. The feeling is Athanasiou wouldn’t fit the Oilers’ team dynamic right now. We’ve heard the term “lone ranger” thrown around with him and I was told he’s a bit too “self-contained”. So I’d say that the Oilers are looking for players who are good in the locker room and easy to coach.
  • Oilers Heading Out: It sounds like Toronto and Carolina made some inquiries as to the services of Jujhar Khaira and Matt Benning (TOR), as well as, Kris Russell (CAR). The Maple Leafs are shitting the bed right now and might be looking for a shakeup of sorts. Khaira and Benning have been connected to the Leafs for over a year and because Toronto is in a bit of a bind, I think the Oilers are probably asking for Kasperi Kapanen there. I can’t see them getting the Finn but it doesn’t hurt to ask. Caleb Jones has made Russell redundant at this point.

Three Players to Watch for the Kings

  • #11 Anze Kopitar – According to Dailyfaceoff.com, Kopitar has 8 assists in LA’s last five games. No goals though. He’ll always be a threat whenever he’s on the ice, right? Leon Draisaitl, no doubt, will be seeing a lot of Kopitar this evening as well.
  • #42 Gabe Vilardi – There was a time when folks thought this kid’s career was in doubt but he’s worked his ass off to come back and make a go of it. : might be this generation’s Jason Allison. Not the fastest or best skater by any means, but he is a helluva playmaker with elite vision.
  • #29 Martin Frk – Frk and his hardest shot in pro hockey will be something to keep an eye out for. Was once the property of Ken Holland’s Red Wings. He’s been up and down throughout his entire career but LA is horrid right now and since trading Tyler Toffoli, they could use him on the pro team. Edmonton has to be careful not to let him get an open shot because he could actually start hurting guys with a clapper that hard. Lord knows, the Oilers don’t need any more bodies on the IR.

Three Players to Watch for the Oilers

  • #73 Ethan Bear – It finally sounds like Ethan Bear is going to be QB-ing the Oilers’ first unit PP… Finally. It was basically his bread and butter in junior and the AHL so I have not idea why it took Coach Tippett so long to come to the conclusion that he should be the one running that unit, not Darnell Nurse.
  • #89 Sam Gagner – Gags took a bit of shot during the Minnesota game that had him clutching his shoulder/chest. So I’m not sure how healthy he is right now, but the reason I have him as a player to watch is that I feel like the next player in our list here will be playing and Sam will be his linemate.
  • #97 Connor McDavid – The Oilers didn’t send Colby Cave back to Bakersfield for nothing. I think the Captain is coming back tonight and that will bode well for this team. I mean, I’ve nearly puked watching the team try to gain entry into the other team’s zone during a PP since he was out. It’s so apparent that they need him there but it won’t hurt to have him 5×5 either.

No lines have been posted yet. It’s the day before the trade deadline and as I said above, some players might be sitting out in lieu of a deal. Keep your eyes and ears peeled and that should give you a good idea as to who is possibly heading out. I do expect Mike Smith to be in the net though and for the forwards to basically be the same as they were against Minnesota.

The Next Ten Games (61-70)

  • vs. Minnesota Wild (28-24-7) – Edmonton is 0-2 against the Wild this year and it’s about time the Oilers beat Bill Guerin’s boys. (WIN) LOSS
  • @ Los Angeles Kings (22-34-5) – I have to say, the Kings are a dangerous team right now. They have nothing to lose and can spoil a lot of teams’ seasons. The Oilers have won 2/3 this year against their old coach but Connor McDavid might be back in this one. Keep an eye out to see if anybody out of the ordinary is sitting for this one because the next day is the trade deadline. (WIN)
  • @ Anaheim Ducks (24-29-7) – Last time out the Oilers put up six on Dallas Eakins’ Ducks. I expect Edmonton to equal that this time around and who knows how the roster will look as this is the game that follows the trade deadline. (WIN)
  • @ Vegas Golden Knights (32-22-8) – The Golden Knights record might hover around Edmonton’s but I feel like this team is a bit better on paper plus this is the second game in a back-to-back. (LOSS)
  • vs. Winnipeg Jets (32-25-5) – Big Buff sank this team when he decided he wasn’t going to play but the Jets have stuck in the race the whole season pretty much. You have to love the heart! (LOSS)
  • @ Nashville Predators (29-23-7) – I think the Oilers can sweep the season series with Nashville. The Preds defense isn’t what it used to be and there seems to be a bit of a dark cloud floating over the team at the moment. Pekka Rinne has hit a wall too… (WIN)
  • @ Dallas Stars (35-19-6) – Edmonton and Dallas have each won one game-a-piece against each other this season so far. This will be the rubber match and I like Dallas here. (LOSS)
  • @ Chicago Blackhawks (26-26-8) – Going into Chicago to play the Blackhawks is never an easy task and the Oilers have always had a tough time winning in the Windy City. (LOSS)
  • vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (30-19-3) – Edmonton is 21-8-0 at home vs. Columbus all-time. It’s hard to argue with those numbers, right? On the other hand, John Tortorella has his team right in the running for a playoff spot in the East. This game should be a war of attrition to see who comes away with the two points. (WIN)
  • vs. Vegas Golden Knights (32-22-8) – I like Edmonton’s chances at home against the Golden Knights. History tells us they have a better chance at beating them in Edmonton than in Vegas. (WIN)

(Standings as of February 21st, 2020)

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2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM58: Oilers @ Hurricanes – 3P2W – Five “Out of Left Field” Trade Targets

When the Edmonton Oilers announced that Connor McDavid would be missing a significant amount of time with an amputated leg (what?!), three major narratives resulted,

  • Kiss the playoffs goodbye!
  • Leon Draisaitl will need to step up his game.
  • This could have a galvanizing effect on the team and bring them closer.

We’re only three games into the 7-10 games that Connor might be missing but so far, two of the above have come true. Draisaitl has seven points in three games since 97 was airlifted to Toronto with that Charley Horse and the team is performing effectively as a complete unit which is resulting in some coach-pleasing performances and most importantly, points on the board.

The game yesterday afternoon against Florida was actually pretty shocking to me. I didn’t expect them to play like they were shot out of a cannon from the get-go, but I loved it anyhow. Every single line was executing their forechecks to perfection and getting sustained zone time in the Panthers’ end for at least the first 30-35 minutes. I was wondering to myself what is going on with Florida? They’re not this bad, are they? Egg on my face! Edmonton is that good!

I remember so many games in the Decade of Darkness where teams would simply outwork Edmonton and the game would be over before it started. So, safe to say, it’s a refreshing transformation that this team is going through under Coach Tippett and Coach Playfair. It should be said that Ken Holland needs his share of recognition as well for bringing in the playing personnel he has.

Adam Larsson: The Iron Swede was in immaculate form last night and I nearly shed a tear when he scored his goal. It’s been a long time coming and I’m really proud of him for putting up with the BS he has to sometimes with the Oilers fanbase. He’s such a rock for Coach Tippet’s team and his importance to the success of this team from a defensive point of view cannot be understated. Lots of people want to chastise him because his “FOR” metrics are not acceptable but overlook his “AGAINST” stats to which he’s very good at.

Darnell Nurse: Doc had one of his best games of the year against Florida. He was buckled in and in shutdown mode from the drop of the puck. Good on him for scoring his 5th of the year on that Hail Mary. His uncle Donovan was probably pretty proud. I’d like to see more of this kind of play from him. Meaning, defense first. I’ll continue to say it, I think he can be one of the league’s best shutdown defenders if he can accept that role. He’s got all of the tools to do it, right? Strength, intensity, Meanness, grit, defensive awareness, and he’s a great skater all-round.

Kailer Yamamoto: There was once a time when I’d say the Oilers need to go out and get themselves a Brendan Gallagher. I swear, I’d say that every year at least twice, but now I don’t need to write that blog anymore. Domo Arigato Mr. and Mrs. Yamamoto! Kailer is a KILLER! Like a wasp trapped in your car, a defenseman is fooked if they think they’re going to just walk out of a corner unscathed that is also occupied by Kailer Yamamoto.

Those three players impressed me the most yesterday. I will say good on Khaira for stepping up and somebody send a message to Matt Benning to take ‘er easy. Love the scrappiness, but good Lord, man. Take care of that coconut!

Five “Out of Left Field” Trade Targets

Should Ken Holland get the itch to add some significant pieces to his team before the NHL’s trade deadline in over a week, I wanted to take a very brief look at some potential targets who might help the team.

Andy Greene (NJ) – D – 37yrs old, $5M (UFA) w/NTC – You can never go wrong adding a quality veteran like Andy Greene to your lineup for the playoff run. He would bring a calming presence and defensive consistency to Edmonton’s blue line and also relieve some of the pressures on Kris Russell and Caleb Jones. 53gp 2g 9a 11pts

Valtteri Filppula (DET) – C – 35yrs old, $3M/yr until 2021 w/NTC – One of Ken Holland’s boys from way back. The middle-six pivot would be an upgrade on Gaetan Haas and Colby Cave. He brings considerably more offense to the table and you can’t argue with how much experience he’d also bring. 59gp 4 g14a 18pts

Derick Brassard (NYI) – C – 32yrs old, $1.3M/yr (UFA) – This fella was nearly an Oilers this summer before the Islanders ponied up an extra couple hundred grand. For many of the same reasons Filppula would be a good fit for the Oilers, Brassard would be as well. He’d also add a bit of shine to Edmonton’s 2nd PP unit as well. 57gp 10g 19a 29pts

Mikael Granlund (NSH) – C/W – 27rs old, $5.75M/yr (UFA) – Granlund would be the ultimate wildcard add for Holland if he could make it. The Preds have been playing much better as of late, so I’m not actually sure if Poile would move him. But this is a player that could hop up alongside Connor McDavid as well as center the 3rd line if need be and wouldn’t it be nice to see him suit up beside his brother? 51gp 14g 10a 24pts

Evgeni Dadonov (FLA) – W – 30yrs old, $4M/yr (UFA) w/M-NTC+NMC – Now, apart from a little highlight on FLA’s powerplay yesterday, Dadonov was pretty quiet against the Oilers. So I was a little disappointed about that, but I’ve seen this guy take over games for the Panthers. He would most definitely be a great compliment to a center like Connor McDavid. 58gp 23g 19a 42pts

The Oilers have a shade over $1M in trade deadline cap room if they were to wait until then to make a trade. So most likely it’d be money in/money out were the Oilers to trade for any of these gentlemen.

For me, I’m not sure I’d go for these options as the price points might be out of Edmonton’s range, but I’m a little bored of talking about the same trade suspects over and over. How about yourself?

I will say this though, the Oilers and Leafs have been scouting the hell out of each other lately and Edmonton has also been watching quite a bit of the Sabres and Devils too. It wouldn’t shock me if Holland made a deal with any of these teams in the next 5-8 days.

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Three Players to Watch for the Hurricanes

  • #20 Sebastian Aho – He reminds me so much of Igor Larionov with how he plays the game. Aho is so smart with the puck and his positioning. He’s also a fantastic playmaker which is good for his 19-year-old winger, Andrei Svechnikov.
  • #37 Andrei Svechnikov – We’re seeing the emergence of the next great Russian superstar folks. He has all of the tools and he’s not even 20-years-old. Do you think there are any ‘Canes fans out there complaining about how Carolina’s management is wasting Svechnikov’s career right now?
  • #88 Martin Necas – Ales Hemsky 2.0? Let me know after the game tonight if you see as much Hemsky in Necas’ game as I do. I’m not sure he’s as smooth as Hemmer was, but Necas is a ridiculous offensive talent that should be racking up the points for years to come for Carolina.

Three Players to Watch for the Oilers

  • #41 Mike Smith – Smith was one of the main reasons the Oilers stayed in the game against the Lightning the other day and on the back half of a B2B, Edmonton is going to need another stellar performance from him.
  • #39 Alex Chiasson – I feel like Chiasson has been a bit snakebitten recently. He had that breakaway yesterday that he couldn’t bury and his work ethic has been impressive. Unfortunately, the goals haven’t been going in as much as they should be.
  • #49 Tyler Benson – I liked his game yesterday. He started to get a bit more comfortable and the things that have brought him success were starting to shine. He had some really nice passes and he was finding some passive ice for scoring chances. This is good news. I want to keep an eye on him for one more game here and especially against the Hurricanes who are a very fast and aggressive team. I’m curious how Benson will handle that.

No lines posted yet, but it wouldn’t shock me if Markus Granlund dressed and perhaps one of Colby Cave or Patrick Russell took a seat.

The Next Ten Games (51-60)

  • vs. St. Louis Blues (31-12-8) – I’m not 100% sold that the Oilers will be focused on this game seeing as they play Calgary the next night. They have played well against the league’s best this season at times though. Can McDavid and Draisaitl beat the Blues in this one as they did at the All-Star game? (WIN) WIN
  • @ Calgary Flames (27-19-6) – If you thought last night’s game was fun with all the fights and cheap shots, this game is going to be bonkers. It always seems to be in Calgary. Losing three times to the Flames and that post-game celly by Rittich will be eating away at the Oilers. They’ll be doing their damnedest to bring home the two points. (WIN) WIN
  • @ Arizona Coyotes (26-21-5) – The Oilers put up a touchdown on the Coyotes right before their bye-week and I don’t imagine that sat well with Taylor Hall and co. That said, they’re on a bit of a slump in their last ten (4-5-1) and Edmonton is flying high as of today (6-2-2). On the other hand, just when the opportunity presents itself to the Oilers they usually take the night off. (LOSS) LOSS
  • vs. San Jose Sharks (22-26-4) – Man, this Sharks team is bad. With Vlasic, Karlsson, and Burns on the back-end no less… Can you believe the Golden Knights fired Gerard Gallant to hire San Jose’s old coach? I think this will be a scheduled win for McDavid’s boys. Watch out for shenanigans from Evander Kane and Timo Meier. (WIN) LOSS
  • vs. Nashville Predators (23-19-7) – Since the Preds hired NJ’s old coach, they haven’t been scoring much and that’s not a good sign when you go into Edmonton. Couple that with Pekka Rinne’s game falling right off of a cliff and the Oilers should be able to walk away with two points. (WIN) WIN
  • vs. Chicago Blackhawks (24-21-6) – The Hawks are coming on as of late and I think they could pull this one off in Edmonton. Maybe Drake Caggiula does the ex-Oiler thing and scores. (LOSS) WIN
  • @ Tampa Bay Lightning (30-15-5) – This will be a fine test for the Oilers. Tampa has found their stride at the right time and are looking very dominant. Might we see another ex-Oiler in Pat Maroon score or drop the flippers? I expect McDavid to be flying in this one. (LOSS) LOSS
  • @ Florida Panthers (28-16-5) – This match-up is going to be a fun one. The Panthers have some really fun players to watch like Huberdeau, Barkov, and the very underrated Vincent Trochek. Which Sergei Bobrovsky might we see if he gets the call though? (WIN) WIN
  • @ Carolina Hurricanes (29-18-3) – It’s hard not to like what they’ve built in Carolina. Andrei Svechnikov is already a scoring phenom at 19-years-old and it’s hard to overlook the wonder Finns (Aho/Teravainen), right? How will this team be sans Dougie Hamilton though? Can the Oilers sweep back-to-backs again? (WIN)
  • vs. Boston Bruins (29-10-12) – Edmonton goes from one team who doesn’t lose in OT to a team that seemingly only loses in OT. The Oilers gave the Bs a pretty sound beating last time they played and we’re close to the trade deadline here so I’m not sure what the rosters will look like. I like Boston for this one though. (LOSS)

(Standings as of January 20th, 2020)

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2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM49: Coyotes @ Oilers – 3P2W – It’s Time to Upgrade the Third Line

Great news! The Oilers are most likely going to announce a contract extension for Zack Kassian next month! I remember being told before Christmas that this new deal would be around four to five years in term and just over three million dollars. My feeling today is that it might be closer to four million than three. And to those of you who are saying that you’d only give him a shade over two million per year… Give your head a shake… Be a better supporter than that. It’s not easy playing consistently well with Connor McDavid. Just ask Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, or any of the other talented forwards that have tried since Connor joined the club. Kassian plays well with McDavid and 97 likes him there. He’s also a massive contributor inside the locker room and is adored in the city. The other thing is, he wants to stay in Edmonton which is a huge flip flop from last year.

Get good Kassians, keep good Kassians!

Moving on…

Have you taken the time to appreciate the lineup that John Chayka has built in Arizona? He’s got Derek Stepan and Phil Kessel on the Coyotes 3rd line… That’s how much depth they’ve got there. If they could find a way to get some goalies who could stay healthy, the Coyotes might be on to something

Speaking of team depth, the Oilers are getting closer and closer but it still needs a tweak and possibly a season or two for the talent on the farm to become NHL-ready. As nice as Arizona’s roster looks right now, Edmonton’s could look even better by 2022. But let’s focus on today.

I believe the current edition of their top-six is good to go. They’ve found a nice blend of skill and power that has been quite effective since the turn of the year. So I believe it’s time to address one of the lines in Edmonton’s bottom-six.

Nygard-Sheahan-Archibald
Gagner-Haas-Chiasson

Then we’ve got Gagner, Khaira, and Russell getting spot duty in there.

The Nygard/Sheahan/Archibald line might be set. I feel like the coaching staff likes the speed, tenacity, offensive threat, and defensive acumen of this group, so they’re probably safe but on a good team, they should be the 4th line.

Therefore, we’re left with the Gagner/Haas/Chiasson line. I think we’re all in agreement here in that this line needs better players. I’ve loved what Haas and Chiasson have brought, but Gagner, aside from spurts, hasn’t produced as I’d like him to have.

A couple of questions come to mind here,

  • Can Tyler Benson be that guy to spark the offense enough so that the Oilers don’t need to make a trade?
  • Should the Oilers make a trade regardless of Benson’s impending debut for the club?

Fact is, the Bakersfield Condors best player (and AHL all-star) is going to get a look-see this season and that is going to dictate who the Oilers target, but I have one more question.

  • Should the Oilers forget about upgrading the wings and focus picking up a third-line center with some scoring punch and maybe move a guy like Gaetan Haas to the left-wing? This option would allow Benson to marinate in Bakersfield some more too.

Most of us will have JG Pageau immediately come to mind, right? And that’s fine, but the cost to bring him in without any guarantee he’ll be in Edmonton beyond this season might be too dear.

You know who would be cheap though? Pittsburgh’s Alex Galchenyuk.

Pens GM Jim Rutherford is dying to get Galchenyuk’s name off of his roster that I’d be willing to bet he’d eat some salary to do it (hopefully 50%). Nail Yakupov’s BFF from back in the day can play both wing and center too… Buy low, sell high, yeah? What’s the risk? With all due respect to the players on the roster whose spots are in question, can he be any worse than what Edmonton has already? I would think the answer to that is no. But could he be any better though? I say possibly.

I know that James Neal to the bottom-six is an option as well, but I’d be remiss to remind you how that worked out for Calgary last season… James Neal shouldn’t even be touching the bottom two lines in my opinion. Young Benson could though…

The Next Ten Games (41-50)

  • vs. Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – The Oilers should be bitter as hell coming back from the Christmas break and looking for retribution. In terms of gf/ga on the year, the Flames are -12 and Edmonton could feast on that. The Oilers have taken two of the past three contests. (WIN) LOSS
  • vs. New York Rangers (17-15-4) – Edmonton will get its first look at 2019 2nd overall pick Kaapo Kakko and welcome back former Oiler, Ryan Strome. This should be a scheduled win for Edmonton as the Rangers aren’t anything special this year. The Oilers have won three on the trot vs. the Rags. (WIN) WIN
  • @ Buffalo Sabres (17-14-7) – Generally, over the years the Oilers have had pretty good luck in Buffalo, but this year Jack Eichel is a man possessed and last time Rasmus Dahlin was out of the lineup. If Dahlin is back in for this game, he’ll add a significant threat. I like Edmonton’s chances here though. (WIN)  OT LOSS
  • @ Boston Bruins (22-7-9) – The Bruins went into the Christmas break on a bit of a slump going 2-4-4 in their previous ten. This is going to be a challenge for the Oilers to win even when Boston is at their worst and there’s no better team to bust a slump against than Edmonton, right? (LOSS) WIN
  • @ Toronto Maple Leafs (20-14-4) – Toronto’s confidence was sky high before baby Jesus’ bday, but guess who comes to play each time he’s back home. That’s right, Connor McDavid. It will take a complete team effort for the Oilers to beat their nemesis, Freddy Andersen, though as he’s really had Edmonton’s number. (OT LOSS) WIN
  • @ Montreal Canadiens (18-13-6) – I really enjoyed Edmonton’s performance against the Habs in their earlier match. If the Oilers can replicate that, I don’t see why a win is out of the question. (WIN) WIN
  • @ Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – Round two! Ding. Ding. In Calgary, I think the Flames might be able to muster up a win here. (LOSS) LOSS
  • vs. Nashville Predators (18-12-6) – Is Pekka Rinne in net? If so, I’ll give this one to the Oilers. If it’s Saros, the Preds have a much better chance of success. They’ve been an interesting team to watch this year and are playing in a tough division. Their 42pts at the break had them in 3rd last in the Central… (WIN) WIN
  • vs. Arizona Coyotes (21-14-4) – Hallsy’s back and if the Oilers would like to go that extra mile, they could show him how much of a powerhouse they plan to be next season by wiping the floor with Arizona, but it’ll be a tough game. Arizona is a lot deeper than the Oilers and their netminding has been much better. This needs to be a game where Edmonton’s defense shines. (OT LOSS)
  • vs. Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – Coming off of a 10-day break, Mikko Koskinen and the Oilers will be well-rested. In theory, they should be as ready as they’re ever going to be to take on their inter-province rivals. (WIN)

(Standings as of December 26th, 2019)

Three Players to Watch for the Coyotes

  • #91 Taylor Hall – Historically, Hall has done “poorly” in his games against the Oilers. In seven games, he’s only amassed three points, is -1, and shoots at 4%. Is it something about returning to Edmonton that rattles him? Will he still feel that way in this game?
  • #8 Nick Schmaltz – This player is a tricky skiller. He has very good playmaking capabilities and he knows how to capitalize on an opportunity. He’s been on fire as of late too with eleven points in his last ten games.
  • #6 Jakob Chychrun – With six assists in his previous ten games, the son of former Philadelphia Flyer Jeff Chychrun, is playing well at the moment. His skating ability leads me to believe that he might be asked to cover Connor McDavid in this one.

Three Players to Watch for the Oilers

  • #6 Adam Larsson – Three points in his last five games is pretty good for a shut-down defender. I think he’ll be tasked with shutting down Hall in this one. So I’ll be curious to see how he fares there.
  • #97 Connor McDavid – How will Connor’s last game before the break go? Will he give us something to talk about that’ll last the entire time? Seven points in his last five games and eleven points in his previous ten matches. He’ll surely add to that.
  • #93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Nuge is shooting at a 50% success rate in his last five. Is it safe to assume he might carry that one for just one more game? Please…

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Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Riley Sheahan’s Return Could Force a Trade

Later this week, the Edmonton Oilers are going to march into Nassau Coliseum and go head-to-head with Mathew Barzal and the New York Islanders. It should be a fantastic game of hockey to watch but there’s something else on my mind related to this game.

What I’m wondering about is this Josh Ho-Sang trade demand because I was passed along a message that the Oilers were looking at him. Now, what I’m about to discuss, I see very little chance of it happening for a few reasons but I still believe it’s worth talking about.

  • Lou Lamoriello’s ships are tighter than the lid on that jar of pickles at the back of your fridge. Nothing gets out of his office unless he wants it to.
  • If the Oilers did make a deal to bring JHS to the team, where would he play? Sure, he’s said he’d be happy starting in the AHL, but even then, where does he slot into the Condor’s lineup with Kailer Yamamoto, Josh Currie, and Kirill Maksimov occupying the top three RW spots? Unless they’re trading him for Cameron Hebig or Nolan Vesey…
  • Is this the kind of player that the Oilers should be bringing into their organization and would he fit into the new ethos that Ken Holland is trying to build?

On the other hand, there are some players that have done nothing more than sat on their hands since training camp started. Riley Sheahan will be coming back this week and somebody has to go to make room for him. A one-for-one trade makes sense here because Ho-Sang wouldn’t have to join the NHL club and he could stay in the AHL, meaning, he wouldn’t take up a roster space on the Oilers. I’d argue his value is as low as it could possibly be as well, so the price to acquire him wouldn’t be dear. Thoughts?

For me, Ho-Sang doesn’t do anything for me. I get that he played minor hockey with Connor and they were unstoppable, but that was then and the now tells me that he can’t score goals at even the AHL level let alone the NHL one. Eight goals last year? He’s never topped 45 points in a season playing in the Islanders farm system. For a player who might consider himself a top-6 forward? It doesn’t jive, baby.

One more thing, on Oilers Now last week Mark Spector and Bob Stauffer were discussing one of the Oilers who’d had a good game. I think it was Draisaitl but I’m not 100% on that. Spec just happened to slip into the conversation that he was talking to a Rangers scout at the Oilers season opener…

Fun Fact: Edmonton plays the Rangers on this road trip as well.

So if the Rags are watching the Oilers and the Oilers are watching the Rangers (pretty safe assumption I feel), you’ve got to wonder if there’s something brewing. Remember those Lemieux/Puljujarvi rumors that were popping up over the summer? A deal like that could be a bit more problematic because Lemieux would take up a roster spot and New York would have to sign Puljujarvi if they wanted him to play for them this season. Not that hard, but a bit more paperwork involved. Add to that the fact that along with the Oilers, New York has started their year very well. Does either team really want to tinker with the rosters so early in the season?

Look, if it were me, I’d rather move a Colby Cave, Markus Granlund (I know…), or a Jujhar Khaira than lose someone to waiver for nothing. It’s unfortunate that Adam Larsson fractured his leg because I’d add Matt Benning to that list too, but it is what it is. Those three forwards are not playing with any hunger in their games and there’s no fear of being sent down either. However, I could see Tippett wanting more of a look at that Khaira/Sheahan/Archibald line before agreeing to move JJ and Colby Cave can win faceoffs, a skill that cannot be overlooked in any situation.

The other teams that Edmonton will be facing on this roadie are the New Jersey Devils and the Chicago Blackhawks. I see Sami Vatanen playing 3rd pair minutes for the Devils, would he fit on the Oilers blueline? Maybe for Benning and another body?

I don’t know folks. As I said, most likely nothing is going to happen, but I wanted to bring up the topic anyhow. The timing seemed right.

What do you think? Are you a bit more optimistic that a trade could get done on this road trip than me? If so, let us know in the comments what you’re thinking.

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Edmonton Oilers: The Best Thing Holland Can Do is Wait

The sun is just rising and we’ve already got traction on the Volkov and a pick to the Edmonton Oilers for Jesse Puljujarvi comment Elliotte Friedman made on the latest 31 Thoughts podcast.

I’ll keep this one short. It would be a massive mistake for Holland to move Puljujarvi for a 22-year-old who is trending to be a bottom-6 forward with a dusting of offense to his game.

Puljujarvi put up better numbers in the AHL (5th highest PPG for an 18-year-old player in AHL history) as an 18-year-old than Volkov did as a 21-year-old. Can we expect the Tampa Bay prospect to continue shooting at a 20% rate? Also, one has to ask, if Volkov or Julien Gauthier were playing for a club in the SM Liiga, would they be averaging five or six shots a night? Dominating possession as well as zone entries? I don’t think they would, to be honest.

Just getting rid of a player because he wants to go doesn’t sound like Holland’s M.O. and for 10 cents on the dollar sounds even less like the multiple Stanley Cup-winning GM.

I’ll throw one more thing out there, would you trade Tyler Benson for Julien Gauthier or Alexander Volkov today? No? Then why would you accept those returns for Puljujarvi? Pro-rate the Finn’s AHL season last year and it comes out looking pretty similar to what Benson accrued.

The best thing that Mr. Holland can do is let Jesse play for as long as possible over in Finland and get his confidence up. That’ll also allow Puljujarvi to stay in game shape while the Oilers find the correct return. What’s the worst that can happen? They don’t trade Puljujarvi? Oh damn! I guess they’ll have to revisit things in the summer. But what’s the best thing that could happen?

  • They might get a better return on a trade…
  • Connor and Leon might change their minds and actually reach out to Jesse and offer the olive branch. No doubt Edmonton could use Pulju’s skillset on their right-wing and even if those two won’t play with him, by the sounds of it, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins wouldn’t mind at all.

I’m only one guy with an opinion, but based on what I’m seeing from Puljujarvi in those Champions Hockey League games so far, he’s back, he’s healthy, and he’s motivated. Given the right scenario, he’s at least a 30pt winger in the NHL right now and that’s not something I can say for Julien Gauthier or Alexander Volkov.

Game two between the Oilers rookies and the Flames rookies goes tonight in Calgary at 7pm I believe. I’ll be watching to see if Benson and Marody bounce back and also to see how Olivier Rodrigue does. Go Oilers Go!

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